Brenda Conway listens as she is sentenced to 24 months' probation on Thursday. She pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated with occupants younger than 16. / Andre J. Jackson/DFP

Lori Conway the ex-wife of Macomb County Judge Richard Caretti watches as Brenda Conway, is sentenced to 24 months probation for driving drunk her children in the car at 46th District Court in Southfield, Mich. on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Andre J. Jackson/Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press

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The girlfriend of a Macomb County judge who admitted driving drunk in January while the judge’s young daughters were in her vehicle was sentenced to 24 months’ probation today.

Brenda Conway, 51, of Troy was sentenced in 46th District Court in Southfield. Conway, who is the girlfriend of Macomb County Circuit Judge Richard Caretti, pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor charge of operating while intoxicated with occupants younger than 16.

Conway’s attorney, Jeffrey Lance Abood of Birmingham, said in October that his client pleaded guilty because she was concerned about the impact of a trial on Caretti's children.

“This is something that has obviously put a tremendous amount of stress on her. ... She didn't really want to put Judge Caretti's kids through a grueling cross-examination,” Abood said at the time.

Caretti came under scrutiny for letting his daughters, who were then 12 and 15, ride in the vehicle with him and Conway. They were traveling from a wedding reception for one of Caretti’s relatives in Macomb County to return the girls to their mother’s house in Franklin when Conway was arrested.

The judge's ex-wife, Lori Conway, called police when she received text messages from one of her daughters saying Brenda Conway was driving drunk. Lori and Brenda Conway have the same last name because they are related by marriage.

Caretti acknowledged drinking at the reception but denied being drunk himself. He has also defended his decision to ride with Brenda Conway, saying she appeared fine. Caretti declined comment related to Brenda Conway’s guilty plea.

Authorities said at the time that Brenda Conway registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.18% during an initial breath test. Two subsequent tests also registered higher than 0.08%, the level at which someone can be convicted of drunken driving in Michigan.

Brenda Conway’s driver’s license was suspended after her guilty plea and will remain restricted for three months after the suspension ends in February. In addition to the current case, Brenda Conway had four speeding tickets from September 2008 to August 2010 in Illinois, Bloomfield Hills and Troy, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.